0:00

I miss a green for example, I'm already

0:02

upset when I find my bomb the bumper.

0:04

not really upset and want my find my

0:06

ball in a bride egg fried egg. The

0:08

dreaded Friday Friday. Cried and cried and cried

0:10

and. Cried and lie I'm about ready to run

0:12

off with the have forced. To.

0:34

Welcome to. The. Fried Egg Gulf

0:37

Podcast I'm Garrett Morrison and

0:39

the Augusta National Women's Amateur

0:41

is back! There. Will be

0:43

stacked field at Champions Retreat and Augusta

0:46

National next week and we're here to

0:48

tell you about a few players to

0:50

watch out for. Will also talk with

0:52

one of the biggest stars in the

0:55

field at Stanford University's Mega Got a

0:57

Mega is one of the top players

0:59

in college golf and you may recall

1:02

her from the time she contended for

1:04

a Us Women's Open at Olympic Club

1:06

And Twenty Twenty One She was actually

1:09

in that final pairing with Lexi Thompson

1:11

and the eventual champion Yuka. Sasso. We're

1:13

very excited to speak with Mega. We

1:15

wanted to have around the pod for

1:17

a while but before getting into and

1:20

why we thought we'd check in with

1:22

the Lpg, a tour and just see

1:24

what's been going on there. So all

1:26

of that is coming up. But.

1:28

First, let's talk about golf

1:30

in Ireland now. If you've

1:33

been following our explorations content which I hope

1:35

you have because it's it's been really great

1:37

in my opinion. You. Know

1:39

that the Island of Ireland

1:42

is a golfers paradise. It

1:44

has over four hundred courses,

1:46

one third of the world's

1:48

true links courses, and exceptional

1:51

championship layouts surrounded by epic

1:53

landscapes. Those championship courses include

1:55

Raw Portrush and Royal County

1:57

Down, both in Northern Ireland.

2:00

Real County Down is gonna be

2:02

hosting the Abs and Irish Open

2:05

this September. That. Is this

2:07

year, so that's gonna be really

2:09

fun to watch. And then the

2:11

Open Championship is going back to

2:13

Roll Part Rust and Twenty Twenty

2:15

Five, So some big tournaments coming

2:17

up. There are lots of reasons

2:19

to get out to Northern Ireland

2:21

specifically. Now, in addition to golf,

2:23

one of the remarkable things about

2:25

the Island of Ireland is the

2:27

hospitality that accompanies any golf experience

2:29

out there. The nineteenth hole is

2:31

just the the joyful ending point

2:33

of any day of golf out

2:35

there, and. Were better to

2:37

do that then the confines

2:39

of a great pub where

2:42

you can relax after a

2:44

great eighteen holes at one

2:46

of Ireland's many world class

2:48

golf courses. So if you're

2:50

interested in an Irish golf

2:53

experienced, go to ireland.com/golf. And

2:55

book your trip. To. Day. right?

2:57

Let's get into some Lpt A

3:00

to her golf before talking about

3:02

and was here to discuss everything

3:04

with me. Today is Friday Golf's

3:07

Project manager Birch Czar and Women's

3:09

Golf correspond hit. Quite

3:11

quite a quite a list of titles. Their

3:14

Meg Atkins Meg How you doing Today. And

3:17

engage Garrett I could be hair and

3:19

ah yes sweet we all were many

3:21

hats at Sonic and and Nasa on

3:24

multi multi has and it has south

3:26

Ah! Excited to have. To test and

3:28

also deal. Yeah we're weird a gonna

3:30

do some travel next week where where

3:32

did not have the house and going

3:34

to Augusta where we're both gonna be

3:36

covering and as we did last year

3:38

so we thought we'd get together and

3:41

and yeah do a little bit a

3:43

preview of that tournaments but well we're

3:45

doing that we thought we would add

3:47

talk about what's been going on in

3:49

the Lpg to her season so far

3:51

as is really been pretty interesting. So

3:53

we're going to do a couple a

3:55

story lines here to story lines major.

3:57

Story lines from the season of Lpg a

3:59

golf so I'm gonna turn it over to

4:01

you Mag: What's your first story line that

4:03

people should be paying attention to on the

4:06

Rpg? A to her so far this year.

4:09

Yeah. It's it's. the big names. So inept

4:11

and. You know this for

4:13

the started the season is a

4:15

is a little bit disjointed just

4:17

with the nature of the schedule

4:19

and you know time off after

4:21

the initial tournaments say that asia

4:23

and then time off after Asia

4:26

for travel and whatnot and by

4:28

the players as advantage to make

4:30

this a you know kind of

4:32

top. He started the season. Really?

4:34

Interesting it's been is had couple

4:36

playoff wins. Finale: Korda Lydia Toes

4:39

Wine. And is now on the

4:41

task of the Hall of Fame

4:43

birthday party. T has also. Gotten

4:45

back into the winner's circle after a

4:48

long long break their and then you

4:50

have had a green so that all

4:52

major winners this the been Bailey Tardy

4:54

who won in China and so the

4:56

big winner in our time loud the

4:58

top in the Us Women's Open or

5:00

something fairly recently right? I remember her

5:02

name popping up i forget where yes

5:04

he played simply great at Pebble and

5:06

and now it's kind of might have

5:08

my first introduction or but you know

5:10

at Georgia stand out player and for

5:12

her when at the she went seven

5:14

under through. Last eleven whole six hundred

5:17

just take that title. I'm so

5:19

like I've been hoping for an

5:21

and wanting for the past few

5:23

seasons is kind of take catch

5:25

a break with injuries and with

5:27

am everyone's kind of games not

5:29

really aligning the big names and

5:31

and we've. Got that now and

5:33

it's awesome to see Nellie!

5:36

Knock. Off too early wins. I

5:38

think that the you know the

5:40

the longer the storyline goes for

5:42

Lydia with this how same of

5:44

birth on the line every every

5:46

tournaments centers that's intriguing Storyline: Seal

5:48

Am so you know really have

5:50

a great start for the Lpg

5:52

a season when they don't really

5:54

set it up to be a

5:56

goal is to start out. With momentum

5:58

with how the schedule as. You

6:00

know, Really really fine cynicism

6:02

that continued of her son on

6:04

Sunday. With that with melees whenever rhino

6:07

tool and just crazy conditions and wind

6:09

power three days I'm say know Now

6:11

That would say wrapped up the first

6:14

part in are looking at the

6:16

majors on on the on the horizon

6:18

I think for Nellie he knows the

6:21

expectations. This get ramped up even more.

6:23

I'm at home when we're going to

6:25

get that second major. Am

6:28

so you know in about three weeks

6:30

so saw the chances at the several

6:32

in Houston and then over all right

6:34

into the rest of the them. the

6:36

major schedule in the real meat of

6:38

of this season and but really I

6:41

mean I can't stress enough how entertaining

6:43

somebody cynicism then even if it had

6:45

to stay up late to watch or

6:47

you know is not the easiest as

6:49

it to find some of these some

6:51

of these tournaments on on the broadcasts.

6:53

I'm. About yeah it's it's. been

6:56

a fun star. I think. I mean

6:58

honestly is outside of the players. I

7:00

think the cynicism lpg aside have been

7:02

much more exciting and with more intriguing

7:04

story lines and than on the Pts.

7:06

Other things and and that that's. Where

7:08

see? no not so. Not

7:11

so exciting courses as lot of

7:13

travel and and not exactly a

7:15

smooth start to the season schedule

7:17

as. Yeah. Kind of our

7:19

herky jerky start, but this has been

7:21

something that we've been talking about for

7:24

a couple years now. That's just the

7:26

way this odd start of the Lpg

7:28

to her season is in January, February,

7:30

March. It really does seem to settle

7:33

him in the month of March and

7:35

then we're kind of on to major

7:37

season. I'm not sure I I love

7:39

the cadence as it is both There

7:41

have been good tournaments and and that

7:44

has really try to carry the day

7:46

so far. No record of definitely starting.

7:48

To. Live up

7:50

to. The hype I want

7:53

to say of although it's not just

7:55

type around here, it's always been legitimate.

7:57

You know she says a genuinely amazed

7:59

the ball striker but she may be

8:02

hasn't won at the rate that we've

8:04

expected and part of that is because

8:06

of some health issues, some injury issues

8:09

that she's been grappling with for the

8:11

past couple of years, but he really

8:13

does seem to be in dominant form

8:16

right now. Her when I palace various

8:18

with is very impressive for a number

8:20

of reasons. One was that the conditions

8:23

on the last day as he mentioned

8:25

were very very tough and that one

8:27

of those are the fun little as

8:29

side. And stories for me on that

8:32

day was that where the things that

8:34

the players were wearing a suit. If

8:36

it's like lots of little creative ways

8:38

to to seal themselves from the from

8:40

the elements that you don't typically seats

8:42

male players at their mess in spring

8:44

our our our site that always either

8:47

Lachance I knew it was fantastic but

8:49

an Ak seats he was in up.

8:51

Well ahead of midway through the final

8:53

round. then title last it on the

8:55

last couple assholes Bogey bogey. but then

8:58

you know, Putter stamp very very assertively

9:00

on that play off. So at you

9:02

know how would you, how would you

9:04

assess were now is that right now.

9:07

Yeah, as listen to her press

9:09

conference afterwards and soothe actually ask.

9:11

You know how how do you stack

9:13

up higher plane right now to your

9:15

pizza Which I think everybody would consider

9:18

that twenty twenty one season when Olympic

9:20

gold for major. Out. For

9:22

titles and as. Top Ten

9:24

and I think that you know almost

9:26

every started seeing like and for her

9:28

she can just you know it's it's

9:30

been so long since that. Peak that

9:33

A I can't. Really compare

9:35

the two that I was

9:37

impressed with her and. Meant.

9:40

To how she talked about mentally. Quickly.

9:43

Venting about that centers sweats? You

9:45

know it's. Dazzling. Put

9:47

their momentum if you're if he were

9:49

a betting on that last. Even with

9:51

Nellie, it's accolades doesn't fit the momentum

9:53

in. Ryan of Tools at Camp Deceive.

9:55

Drained. Along par putt on eighteen to

9:57

get herself to nine hundred. And. Now

10:00

I like eating. you know Nellie talked about

10:02

the i vented kind of as. Got.

10:05

It out. My coach said i'd are you

10:07

ready to go play now and and see

10:09

refocus herself. Got on the T and and

10:11

got it done in on on the first

10:13

hole there. So let's also not forget that

10:15

this comes off of a seven week break

10:17

she didn't pay and the Asian swing at

10:19

all. To. Some time off to

10:21

add disentangling to Prague. her sister

10:23

just corner had a baby. So

10:25

plain the answer all the little

10:27

bit. And it wasn't just the

10:30

to travel by the you know

10:32

seat hurts it touch have club

10:34

for almost half of that seven

10:36

weeks. I'm. So. You know? I think.

10:38

The one. That bodes well. it is. It's not

10:41

have you know whole lotta rest after that break. And

10:43

then to with with the. The.

10:46

Lp just schedule. you know maybe we're getting

10:48

a fresher Nellie into this this both as

10:51

a season into the media, the schedule where

10:53

a the other majors are going to come

10:55

at a fast lap and then we're getting

10:57

real straight into the Olympics and Solheim Tap.

11:00

I'm so if that if if we are

11:02

see inside and Nellie start to teach. You

11:05

know, maybe that breaks when we're talking at the end

11:07

of the summer of she still playing? Well, we're We're

11:09

talking more about how how great outbreak was for to

11:11

stay fresh as to the kind of the season. Or

11:15

it was get a second storyline. I.

11:18

Can I wrote about this a

11:20

little bit and the newsletter and

11:22

last Friday and. I. Think

11:24

it's really interesting and an. Offer.

11:27

Of a caveat that in other sports

11:29

a sport comparison is never apples to

11:31

apples. But and if you've been paying

11:34

attention to the of wrong you know

11:36

sports landscape you know that women's sports

11:38

is having a moment. Here right

11:40

now with just the popularity of

11:43

basketball with. Kim Heart phenomenon.

11:45

And then last week the

11:47

new in Wsl season started

11:49

and I wanted to kind

11:51

of talk about women's sports

11:54

in general because. There.

11:56

Really has not been a better time

11:58

to be leading a. Women's

12:00

Sports League and. The.

12:03

Time is is quickly becoming

12:05

now for my market marxist

12:07

mind to capitalize on this

12:10

momentum and. And are

12:12

a know I think it's it's helpful to look

12:14

at other sports and how they have taken advantage.

12:16

and as you know. Really? Ticked

12:19

down the door in many ways.

12:21

whether it be less expanding their

12:23

leagues with media deals with viewership

12:26

numbers and how can golf. Kind.

12:28

Of take a piece of that pie. That

12:31

and. We note and and take advantage

12:33

of what's going on with women's sports.

12:35

So if you look at you know

12:37

money markets, months tenure and what she

12:39

came into when she was hired on

12:41

as commissioner you know Mike one had

12:43

built the league backed up by she

12:45

came from Princeton, she came from academia

12:47

and see went on. You know the

12:49

year long learning to her as she

12:51

described it to just kind of figure

12:53

out this new this new with. This.

12:56

New landscape and and how to

12:58

tackle and and if you look

13:00

at soccer and the end of

13:02

yourself. Jessica. Berman.

13:04

Com. I'm certainly asked her minute

13:06

mark his mind. So very similar.

13:09

Similar. ten years here. And

13:11

she comes into the and Wsl

13:14

that is mired in scandal. And

13:17

a mess of a league.

13:19

Zero player, trust. And.

13:22

Seat. Of the have the the

13:24

luxury of are listening to our

13:26

she's gotta get n N and

13:28

turn things around immediately and Just

13:30

Government Comes from a background in

13:33

the Nhl. Were see.

13:35

You. Know many many years going up

13:37

the ladder and that leads. was

13:40

responsible for knowing the negotiating the

13:42

lockout deal years ago and seeds

13:44

comes out you know, guns blazing

13:46

and. I. Think what the

13:48

most important thing the seated was

13:50

demands. The team owner

13:52

sips. Step up and I

13:55

think that has a. Very.

13:58

Obviously. Golf to them teams

14:00

but we have the sponsors of

14:02

tournaments and what was happening and

14:05

soccer was he had these passes.

14:07

Team owners I'm Alexis Ohanian axe

14:09

Cop Out Round founder of Reddit

14:11

and is is is that the

14:13

majority stakeholder an Angel City The

14:15

L A find her husband of

14:17

Sir Ian Williams suggests has been

14:20

a screener L Williams and also

14:22

and part owner. I don't know

14:24

the exact title as the T

14:26

Gl Raheem L A D C

14:28

So. He I actually spoke

14:30

about this. you know when he kind of

14:32

came on and with meeting other owners he's

14:35

talking as one owner and is like you

14:37

know yeah I have a daughter and this

14:39

kind of like him you know charity thing

14:42

to kind of show her something that I'm

14:44

supporting women's sports and what you've seen as

14:46

that type kind of totally flip on it's

14:48

head word those owners are now out. In.

14:51

You have owners who don't see this

14:53

is a charity but see it as

14:55

an investment in something they're gonna make

14:57

money on and you've seen devaluation of

14:59

the teams go up. You've seen new

15:01

owners come in with. Big. Time

15:04

dollars, Celebrities. Other

15:06

other athletes Eli Manning has a

15:08

stake in a team passing the

15:10

Homes and Bremer homes, Art Toner

15:12

and and stakeholders and the Kansas

15:14

City Team here. In.

15:16

You seen major major

15:18

investment in what's that

15:20

supply is? You. Know

15:22

these severely under valued teams

15:24

are now selling at you

15:27

know twenty times that they

15:29

were selling for in the

15:31

past the league is expanded.

15:33

They signed him mega Meteorite

15:35

steal with with multiple you

15:37

know streaming options, amazon, Cbs,

15:39

multiple vineyards for their product

15:41

and. It's yours

15:44

if you're the Lpg. A if you're

15:46

molly marked is Simone right now if

15:48

you're not sitting down with. What?

15:51

They're surly are passes.

15:54

tournaments sponsors on on the on the

15:56

lpg a side of things sat in

15:58

have been doing this for certain

16:00

amount of years throw an extra

16:02

hundred K to purse each year and You

16:05

know call it good If you're not

16:07

sitting down with some of those sponsors and

16:09

having the conversation that you know The things

16:11

have changed and it's time to step up

16:13

in a bigger way You

16:16

know, you can have that conversation with the

16:18

confidence now with where women's forces

16:20

at that you'll have another Sponsor

16:23

up to the plate if they're not willing

16:25

to do that And I

16:27

think that's where yes soccer and golf are

16:29

not the same but you can take a

16:31

page out of that playbook from soccer

16:33

and what Jess Berman has done and Start

16:36

really putting sponsors to

16:39

the fire of investigate of truly

16:41

investing in golf Whether

16:43

that's you know new tournaments, whether that's

16:46

new venues, whether that's bigger purses We've

16:49

kind of been baby stepping the way into

16:51

things with golf right now And it's time to kind

16:53

of take that that that big next

16:55

step and and get on to the same level

16:58

as kind of soccer Basketball

17:00

and others have gotten to and

17:02

broadcast partners probably need a kick in the butt as well

17:05

Yep. Yep, but I think I think that comes

17:07

I think I don't think that's going to

17:09

be they're not going to be the leader there I

17:12

think they're going to see investment from other sponsors and

17:14

And you know other

17:17

money coming in through new tournaments or

17:19

purses or sponsors for players And

17:21

they're going to follow suit. I don't think we can

17:23

expect them to to be the

17:26

leader on that forefront Unfortunately, yeah,

17:28

the the meteorite steel is not

17:30

really exclusively or their own right

17:32

there The LPGA sort of has

17:34

has piggybacked on the PGA tours

17:36

meteorite steel But clearly

17:38

there are some improvements that could

17:40

be made in that arena as

17:42

well Alright, cool. So with

17:45

that, let's get into the next

17:47

generation of Potential

17:50

LPGA tour stars or in

17:52

a few cases star amateurs

17:55

on the women's side Let's

17:57

do some players to watch at the Augusta

17:59

National women's amateur. So

18:02

Meg, before we bring Mega on, let's

18:04

try to do these in a kind

18:06

of lightning round style. Who is your

18:08

first player to watch for at

18:11

Augusta National next week? I'm

18:14

going with Taylor Guche's favorite player,

18:16

asterisk Tally. She's the youngest player

18:18

in the field. She just

18:20

turned 15 a couple months

18:23

ago, about in February I believe, and

18:26

she is coming

18:28

in with some momentum. She just won the junior

18:30

invitational, which is an elite junior tournament, by

18:34

six. So she's got some

18:36

familiarity with Augusta too, as

18:38

a drive-chipping putt participant.

18:41

Maybe she peaked too early, but I think she's

18:44

got some confidence coming in to to ANWA

18:46

to hopefully make her run

18:48

there. Okay, my first player to watch

18:50

is also a very young player. 17

18:52

years old, Yana

18:55

Wilfin, absolute stud on

18:57

the junior scene. She was the 2023

19:00

AJGA Girls

19:02

Player of the Year. She's number one

19:04

in the AJGA rankings. She's a University

19:06

of Oregon commit, and you

19:09

know this is her third ANWA, right? So she's

19:12

pretty young, but but she's been here a few

19:14

times. She won on the

19:16

Cactus Tour fairly recently, quarterfinals

19:18

at the US Women's Amateur. This

19:21

is a serious, serious player and

19:23

somebody to watch out for many years to

19:26

come. So Yana Wilson. All

19:28

right, who's your next player? All

19:30

right, we're keeping it with the

19:32

teenagers. I'm gonna go with Ayla Galitsky,

19:34

17 year old from Thailand.

19:36

She's committed to South Carolina. She

19:39

also played in the junior invitational. She finished third

19:41

at an even par, that's

19:44

nine back of asterisk, but

19:46

I was really impressed. She played

19:48

in the LPGA Thailand event earlier

19:50

this year, made the cut, finished

19:52

T-41. So very good playing with the

19:54

best of the best over there in Thailand, and

19:57

we'll see what she can do to Augusta.

19:59

All right. In my last player is

20:01

highly Cooper so we talked about

20:03

teenager so far Haley Cooper is

20:05

twenty four years old. So. Absolutely

20:08

ancient, right? says. She

20:12

says he's still young of course. But

20:15

I'd. Probably. Cooper played her

20:17

her final collegiate tournaments for Texas

20:19

and Am last year. She thought

20:21

the team gets a match play

20:23

at the and Cw Championships. Haley's

20:25

got a great backstory seats he

20:27

was an elite junior. She. Actually

20:30

won the the Us Women's Amateur for

20:32

ball when she was still in high

20:34

school and was a first team All

20:36

America at the University of Texas and

20:39

twenty nine teen but then per game

20:41

to sort of had a rough patch

20:43

and not totally sure what happened. she

20:46

did get invited her to and why

20:48

and twenty twenty one but had to

20:50

withdraw because he tested positive for covered

20:52

nineteen. So this year is actually her

20:55

and Watt debut. in any case seats

20:57

he's gotten her game. Back.

20:59

Recently she got her undergraduate degree from

21:01

Texas in Twenty Twenty One I think

21:03

and at she got it in three

21:05

years, So she's obviously got a pretty

21:08

good head on her shoulders. and then

21:10

she went to Texas A and M

21:12

for her masters degree and she just.

21:14

Rediscovered. Her game had a

21:17

really great twenty Twenty Three Seasons. I

21:19

think that's a that's a feel good

21:21

story to watch out for. So they're

21:23

a bunch of other names that I

21:25

think people will recognize if they've seen

21:27

past Augusta National Women's Amateurs. These names

21:29

would include Emily, Emily Auto who is

21:31

playing her fifth. I. don't think

21:33

there's anybody else in the field

21:35

who played literally every every one

21:38

of these tournaments yes and she's

21:40

planning to be a career amateur

21:42

she's been on the podcast before

21:44

absolutely delightful person ingrid lindblad i

21:46

is a potential favorite here this

21:48

is or fourth and was you

21:50

know that i don't know if

21:52

there's anybody else you would really

21:54

choose to be the sole favorite

21:56

here but there's a good good

21:58

argument for limp lad omari avery

22:00

playing her fourth and last Anwar

22:02

Rachel keen in her fourth Carolina

22:05

Lopez to Kara right you'll you'll

22:07

recognize that last name is

22:10

also playing her fourth and why

22:12

we've got Rachel Heck who just

22:14

announced recently through an essay

22:17

and no laying up that she has chosen

22:19

to remain an amateur and not

22:21

turn professional in golf but

22:23

she's she's coming back to play in her third

22:25

and why Anna Davis is

22:27

the returning champion Gianna

22:30

Clemente still 16 years old but this

22:32

is her second and why I believe

22:34

she is still the youngest or one

22:36

of the two youngest players in

22:38

the field so obviously a very very

22:41

talented player so lots of

22:43

people to watch out for here I'm not sure if I missed

22:45

anybody no that covers the

22:47

big names you know it's

22:49

it feels a little bit different without

22:51

Rose this year that was obviously the

22:53

main storyline last year leading in but

22:56

in what debt never

22:58

disappoints if you know all

23:00

these names kind of show up will have a very

23:02

very exciting Saturday of course

23:04

one name that we haven't mentioned

23:06

yet is mega Ghana and mega

23:08

has an incredible resume that she's

23:11

bringing into this Anwar and we're

23:13

bringing her on the podcast right

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23:17

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out. All

25:18

right, so we are here with Mega Ganay.

25:20

First of all, Mega, how did

25:22

finals go? It

25:24

went past

25:27

all my classes. I took kind of

25:29

a heavy quarter and I took computer

25:32

science for the first time this quarter, which

25:34

was it was going well until it wasn't.

25:36

But I'm glad I

25:39

took the challenge. I took it with my

25:41

teammate Paula and good bonding experience, but very

25:43

glad those 10 weeks are over. I've heard

25:45

that computer science is a big deal at

25:47

Stanford. That's the word on

25:50

the street. Yeah, it was like

25:52

a must take class. So it's done.

25:56

You guys, you figured out a pretty good

25:58

way to wrap up finals week. you guys played

26:00

some golf, didn't you, over the weekend? You

26:02

want to tell everyone where you played and how that

26:04

went? Yeah, we played

26:07

we played Cypress Point, right

26:09

after we were done with finals, which was

26:11

the best prize you could have

26:13

asked for. It was so good.

26:15

Like if there's anything better than playing Cypress, it's

26:17

playing it right after you finish finals. So

26:20

it was perfect weather. So

26:22

good. We went out there.

26:26

It it it was unreal. And that was like

26:28

one of my last few courses on my

26:30

like my top tier bucket list. So

26:34

I definitely did some pro shop damage. And

26:37

yeah, she's just like us. Yeah.

26:41

So Cypress, but you hadn't you hadn't played there

26:43

before. This was your first time. No,

26:46

I didn't play there first time.

26:48

Wow. Any any surprises or observations

26:50

from seeing the course for the first time? It's

26:53

like the whole I love the separation of

26:55

like each of the six holes, like the

26:57

ones like how different they were from each

26:59

other. I didn't I didn't know much about

27:02

like the history of the course. That was cool to learn about.

27:04

And then the last few were

27:07

just insane. Like I played I played

27:09

pebble multiple times. I played

27:11

Spanish bass like the area. Like I'm

27:13

familiar with what it looks like. But those

27:15

holes are just gorgeous. Like they're not you're

27:18

just not prepared for them. So it was

27:20

it was super, super cool. And

27:23

I bought a huge painting that's going to go up

27:25

in my my bedroom. Oh, no way. What's the painting

27:27

of? It's of

27:30

it's of 16. Yeah. Yeah.

27:33

Yeah. Pretty good one to

27:35

have. So next to my

27:37

Augusta painting that I have. Oh, no. Not

27:40

not bragging at all with. No. So

27:45

you are familiar with the Pebble Beach area. You

27:48

took down the Carmel Cup last fall,

27:50

I believe. What

27:52

did you shoot in the final round there? I

27:55

think 67. OK. Which

27:59

is pretty good. So what to use the

28:01

key to doing that kind of damage

28:03

of Pebble Beach? Ooh,

28:06

well, good conditions. I didn't have to

28:08

deal with anything crazy, which was a

28:10

big help. But

28:13

also just, I think that week

28:15

I just

28:17

had a game plan on every single hole. And

28:19

I had a great caddy as well who was

28:21

a local there in the practice round. And they

28:23

can give you advice during the real thing, but

28:25

he loaded up in the practice round. So I

28:27

just felt like I had a great strategy on

28:29

every hole. I felt like it was just too

28:31

putt, move on type of golf. So

28:35

that course definitely suits

28:37

my eye well. Because my first freshman year,

28:39

that was the first time I played my

28:41

freshman year, played well there. And

28:43

then this year I just, yeah, just

28:46

felt good. Every shot just kind of

28:48

feels right. Right.

28:51

Yeah. So the college season is about to

28:54

pick up here. How would you

28:56

assess the state of the Stanford team

28:58

right now? It's great.

29:02

From the outside and inside, I feel like

29:04

we feel great. And

29:06

our team chemistry is kind of ridiculous

29:09

right now, which I felt, I

29:12

mean, it was really good last year. But this year,

29:15

I just feel like we move around each other so

29:17

well, which is so important. And

29:19

having eight women that

29:21

get along that well is pretty impressive in my

29:23

opinion. And I think that's what really drives us

29:25

every day. And we just love being at the

29:27

golf course every day, which makes a huge difference

29:29

when you're working to a

29:32

larger goal and just enjoying the

29:34

process and doing that with each other. I

29:36

think that's really what leads to our

29:38

success in tournament golf. You

29:41

have a new member of your team this year. You

29:44

mentioned Paola. Her full

29:46

name is Paola Martine San Pedro. San

29:48

Pedro. San Pedro. Okay,

29:50

good. So there's the pronunciation. She was

29:52

in your computer science class with you. This

29:56

is a pretty sensational freshman player. Could

29:58

you give me a basic... scouting report on Paula.

30:01

Paula, she's just consistent. She just does everything

30:03

that people have told me. They come up

30:05

to me on the putting green after the

30:08

rounds at tournaments, and they're like, yeah, your

30:10

freshman doesn't miss. Like, she just doesn't, she

30:12

doesn't miss. And I'm like, yeah, I haven't

30:14

seen it yet either. But

30:16

she's super cool. She's great

30:18

off the golf course. We've

30:21

gotten really close actually because this computer science

30:23

class, which is nice, but

30:25

she's such a hard worker. And she's

30:27

so intelligent in the classroom. She's taking

30:30

insane class load, which is, the golf is

30:32

impressive, but doing that with what I'm seeing behind

30:34

the scenes is even more impressive.

30:36

So definitely pushing me to be

30:39

get better as well. Yeah,

30:41

she's from Spain, and she

30:43

is gonna be in ANWA as well. So

30:46

that's a little preview of what people might

30:48

see there. But her results so far this

30:50

college season have been pretty eye

30:52

popping. Like top 10

30:54

in everything as far as I

30:56

can see. So yeah, that kind

30:58

of consistency is impressive. Speaking of

31:00

which, speaking of consistency, Rose

31:03

Zhang obviously turned pro last

31:05

year, but she's hanging around.

31:07

When I heard that she was gonna

31:09

do this, like be on the

31:12

LPGA tour and also finish

31:14

out her degree at Stanford, I was like, how

31:16

is that even possible? Have

31:18

you seen Rose around campus? Have there

31:20

been any sightings? Is she kind of

31:22

still hanging around there? Yeah,

31:25

she's hanging around. When she was

31:27

here, I would see her almost every day.

31:29

But I think it's great. I

31:31

think if I had to leave college right

31:33

now, like my sophomore year, I would definitely love

31:35

to come back from a quarter and feel like

31:38

a student that's just living a regular life, even

31:40

though that's not what she's doing. But I

31:43

think that's great. I think it's a really cool balance

31:45

that she's able to strike. Yeah,

31:49

I feel like I would do the same. I

31:51

love her situation of tour to Stanford and

31:53

then coming back and forth. It's amazing. Are

31:56

you giving us a little preview of what you're looking

31:58

for? No, I'm not giving up. I'm not going

32:00

to forgive you. I'm staying for four years, but

32:03

I'm saying I think she's doing the right thing.

32:06

Okay. Sounds good. Yeah.

32:08

All right, Meg. You want to get into

32:10

her, Megga's experiences at Augusta National a little

32:12

bit here? Yeah, I do. I

32:14

mean, Garrett, you mentioned it, but the drive trip

32:16

and putt, what's the experience

32:18

like? I mean, being so young,

32:20

and you've talked about being more nervous there, having

32:23

just those

32:27

couple shots to hit under all that pressure

32:29

and all the crowds there, obviously probably the

32:31

biggest crowds you've ever played golf

32:33

at that point. Just talk

32:36

through what that experience is like being

32:38

so young. Yeah.

32:41

I love the drive trip and putt. It's

32:44

an initiative like no other, and it really is

32:47

the most pressure you've ever felt. And

32:50

they run it so well and make

32:52

you feel like you are. You

32:56

just feel like you're getting top notch treatment

32:59

from start to end. And

33:02

it's so cool. I mean, what other tournament in

33:04

junior golf is like that? And when you get

33:06

to experience something that feels so high level, other

33:09

than something like the drive, chip and putt. And

33:12

everyone tunes in for those few hours

33:15

where it's on TV. And

33:19

it's super cool. It's like a taste of the big

33:21

leagues when you're just nine years old. And

33:24

I loved it. I think it prepared me for a lot

33:26

of golf for the rest of my amateur

33:29

career. And yeah, I'm just

33:31

super grateful. And going

33:34

to the ANWAN now, I

33:36

feel like way more like home when I'm

33:38

there because I've just been there since I was a

33:40

kid. So yeah, I'm

33:43

very grateful for the drive trip, but I think it was a

33:45

pretty big part of my story.

33:48

Yeah, so rolling from that into

33:50

ANWAN, this is your fourth ANWAN

33:53

appearance. Miskut,

33:55

Miskut T9 last year.

33:58

So talk to me. through kind of

34:01

you know those first couple years out

34:03

there not qualifying for

34:05

the Saturday on the big course on

34:08

Augusta National and then the success

34:10

last year you know top 10s

34:12

and incredible job out there and

34:14

then what do you think this

34:16

year has in on hold for

34:18

you? Yeah I think that first

34:21

course we play on champions and treat it

34:24

was not my place for a good while but

34:26

it just it had like a setup that I

34:28

didn't feel like really suited me

34:30

and like I didn't have the ball

34:32

striking to really score there

34:35

and on top of that it's a 30 person

34:37

cut of the top 70 in the world so

34:39

if you're not on it you're not going to

34:41

make that cut so I came close both years

34:43

but just didn't quite have

34:46

the shots in the bank that I needed

34:48

and I really reflected on that before last

34:50

year's event made a

34:52

couple swing changes equipment change hit the ball

34:54

higher and yeah I just

34:56

came together and I just I

35:00

just had a greater bank

35:02

of shots that I could hit which helped me on that golf

35:05

course and then played well

35:07

at Augusta which was like completely different from the

35:09

first course so it was great and this

35:12

year yeah just trying to do more of the

35:14

same and it's nice and a lot of big

35:16

thing too is when I the first few years

35:18

I was still in high school so I'm coming

35:20

out of a New Jersey winter so I had

35:23

no outdoor practice going into it so that definitely

35:25

has something to do with it being here now

35:27

yeah I mean you've pointed out one of the

35:29

crazy things about ANWA and it's the differences between

35:31

the two courses so how is it that

35:34

Augusta National so different from Champions Retreat how

35:36

do you see those as kind of different

35:38

tests of your of your golf game yeah

35:41

like for I don't

35:43

know maybe everyone will have a different take but

35:45

I feel like the general consensus is that

35:47

Champions Retreat is is more demanding I think

35:51

the conditions we play the courses in

35:53

make it harder because for whatever reason

35:55

the greens have just been way harder

35:57

to hold at Champions Retreat it's

35:59

been windier there than it has been

36:01

at Augusta. It's

36:06

just set up wise, it feels like it's less

36:08

scoreable and you just make one bogey and then

36:10

you're fighting for the cut line. So it's just

36:13

the intensity is so high on those first

36:15

few days, it doesn't even feel like the

36:17

same tournament almost as the final day. And

36:20

then, yeah, Augusta's Augusta is just

36:22

different. You need to

36:24

play well at both, but champions are treats of

36:26

ball strikers, golf course, I think. Yeah,

36:29

and so this year, what I kind

36:31

of found was pretty wild number. You

36:33

have four of your teammates also competing

36:36

at ANWA as well as four future

36:39

Cardinals coming on too. So and

36:42

Walker, I mean, maybe

36:45

the best recruiter in history. Best recruiter

36:47

in the world of any sport. No

36:50

kidding. Yeah, we have a big

36:52

support system there, which will be I'm sure very,

36:54

very nice to have your teammates there with you.

36:58

Kind of continuing on with with ANWA, you

37:01

know, first edition was 2019. And then I wanted to talk

37:05

a little bit about how, you know, in

37:07

IL and that coming into the picture is

37:09

kind of kind of changed kind of the

37:12

look and feel a little bit of ANWA.

37:14

We were, Garrett and I were both there

37:16

last year and you kind of see some,

37:18

you know, like Azalea themed bags and head

37:21

covers and whatnot. Can you

37:23

talk, you know, since this is your fourth,

37:25

can you talk how in IL has kind

37:27

of changed and in the anticipation

37:30

and the build up from sponsors

37:32

for for ANWA? And I

37:34

think it's just interesting with the timing and not being

37:36

there at the beginning. And now it

37:38

seems to be especially with the bigger

37:40

names and the favorites, you know, they've

37:43

they've they've got kind of special edition

37:45

gear all over the place. Yeah,

37:48

I think Augusta is marketing

37:51

wise and you know, publicity. It's

37:53

like a dream because you have

37:56

the coolest women playing the sport at

37:59

the best place. and great TV

38:01

coverage and

38:03

it feels like everyone's tuning in and it's

38:07

yeah I think I think NIL is great and

38:09

it helps grow the game on a lot of

38:11

levels and it's definitely getting

38:14

bigger and bigger and you know equipment

38:16

wise or brands or clothing

38:19

or even financial

38:21

groups like people definitely see

38:24

the value in investing in

38:26

the highest level of women's golf because I

38:29

think it just has you

38:31

know the ability to grow the game and touch a lot of

38:33

hearts because the competitors

38:35

that I know like they're just really special

38:37

people and it's it's cool that people outside

38:39

of the golf community are are

38:41

able to tap into that and take

38:44

women's golf to the next level and

38:48

yeah that it's I have it's all good things

38:50

to say and I've

38:52

been lucky enough to have some

38:55

experience with NIL and good partnerships in

38:57

the last few years so it's

39:00

been it's been a very new experience but

39:02

you know my support system my family my

39:04

coaches my agent I'll

39:06

take care of that for me so I just think about playing the

39:08

golf. For you does it does

39:11

it reduce the pressure a little

39:13

bit to turn professional? We have

39:16

seen some people some some

39:18

great women's college golfers

39:21

choose to remain amateurs

39:24

recently and this this has always happened

39:26

to a degree but do

39:28

you think it allows

39:30

you to feel good about staying in college

39:32

and staying an amateur for a little bit

39:34

longer or does it not make a difference

39:37

in that regard? I think I would have loved

39:39

staying an amateur regardless and

39:41

I know that I want to turn pro at some

39:43

point so it doesn't have a huge impact on my

39:45

thought process here but maybe it

39:47

does for others. Cool all right

39:49

so Megha you know you first

39:52

came to my attention in

39:54

2021 the US

39:56

Women's Open performance was incredibly

39:59

impressive Now.

40:01

Looking back on that three

40:04

years afterwards. What? What

40:06

jumps to mind the from that experience

40:08

of contending at at a major championship.

40:12

To go class said. Ah, As

40:15

as their ad says, it is a feeling. Three years.

40:18

Feels more. He said that it's. I.

40:21

Think we're just to mind is I feel

40:23

so similar to when I was playing that

40:25

final round right now and the person I

40:27

am today as the same time so many

40:30

things are different So ah I see a

40:32

like as. Now. I

40:34

can say I still have retained the best. parts of

40:36

me that I had lost seventeen that allowed

40:38

me to stay in the moment, enjoy that

40:40

weeks computer the highest level. Half that amount

40:43

of confidence going into it. But.

40:46

Then also. Ah, evolve

40:48

my game in a way that's maybe give up

40:50

one day help me close it out on that

40:52

Sunday. So I think over the past few years

40:54

I've been working towards that end. There is a

40:57

lot. Of saps I needed to take that

40:59

you know, grow as a player and

41:01

I've taken those. Wall. Tanis.

41:03

Still still keeping. Those those really good

41:05

parts of me that you know I feel like.

41:08

I inherently hard and ah, striking

41:10

that balances. Is so me like comes to

41:12

mind. Yeah this is the

41:14

this is the eternal tension between

41:17

innocence of experience. you know. You're.

41:19

You're more experienced in so

41:21

you're better. but maybe there

41:24

are. Mental. Thing are

41:26

other things they've been trying to get

41:28

a bit more in the way as

41:30

you get older and wiser. Has that

41:32

been? Has that been was you've experienced.

41:35

I think the other way around to be honest

41:37

with you, I think less and less and less

41:39

mental thing is get in my way and that

41:42

he I was. I was only seventeen and eight.

41:44

I realize I'm only twenty now that I I

41:46

don't love when people say like oh my god

41:48

you had no idea what's going on here. Just

41:50

a kid like know I. Like I'd have

41:53

formulated brain a generous are citizens point you

41:55

were another. They weren't like a three person.

41:57

You are a person. i always

41:59

others foreign person. So I was

42:02

there. I knew it was happening. I

42:04

felt every bit of the pressure and I

42:07

experienced that level of pressure at other tournaments and I

42:09

think just because the stage is bigger you assume a

42:11

lot changes but it really doesn't. And

42:13

I think I've continued to have that

42:16

spark on the golf course and any

42:19

moment I feel I'm losing that I just feel like that's the

42:21

most important thing because that's why I play golf and

42:23

I work on fixing that first before I

42:25

fix anything related to my golf game. So yeah,

42:29

not an increase of any

42:31

mental troubles but it's just different

42:33

and I just think I've grown. I've become

42:36

more mature of a golfer which you need

42:38

to do. What does it

42:40

mean to become a more mature golfer? Yeah,

42:43

I think some decision making, being

42:46

able to recognize my flaws better. I don't think

42:49

when I was younger I'd be like, oh I

42:51

need to work on that as much as I

42:53

am now. Just being open

42:55

to doing that,

42:59

having better routines in my practice,

43:02

in my warm-up, in my

43:04

what do I do after the round, a

43:07

little more discipline which

43:09

are all good things but I still have as much

43:11

fun. So like I said, striking that

43:13

balance. You were in that

43:15

final group at the

43:17

tournament, Yuka

43:19

Sasso and Lexi Thompson. Do

43:21

I have that right? Because

43:25

I remember watching this and what

43:29

an exciting and kind of crazy

43:32

final group and final round that

43:34

was. From your perspective,

43:36

playing in it, were you

43:38

just kind of hyper

43:40

focused on your own game or did

43:43

you take moments here and there to

43:45

look outside of you and see what was going

43:47

on with the other players and with the gallery

43:49

and with the tournament? What do you

43:51

remember from that? I

43:54

think for most of the round I couldn't

43:56

even tell you because I just don't remember.

43:58

It's all about like it

44:00

feels like I just wasn't there. Like

44:03

the first three rounds I was fully present

44:05

with that third round just, I

44:08

don't even really have good recollection of it

44:10

until like the 16th hole. Cause

44:14

it was just so intense. So I wasn't really, I

44:16

don't know if I was taking it in or focusing

44:18

on them or myself or my game, but something happened

44:20

and I just don't, I don't remember it

44:22

very well. But once I hit

44:24

the 16th hole, I think I really took

44:26

it in. And yeah,

44:30

it took in the crowd, being

44:33

there with my family, having them watching. Mike

44:37

who was catty for me, we had just

44:39

formed such a great friendship through that. And

44:41

then playing with Yuka and Lexi and

44:45

watching Yuka close it out, that was one

44:47

of my core memories as well. And

44:50

kind of just reflecting on that round,

44:52

realizing like, I

44:54

think I had the game to get me

44:56

there, but like to really finish it out

44:58

on Sunday, there's so many components that you

45:00

need to get the job

45:02

done and just reminding myself like, you're gonna get

45:05

there one day and how do you do that?

45:07

And you have the best experience possible to

45:09

know how to do that when it's your

45:11

time. So yeah, it was a

45:13

fun day. So

45:16

looking forward to the next couple

45:19

of weeks here, what's

45:21

your plan? What are you working on

45:23

in your game? How do you prepare

45:25

for this tournament specifically? Yeah,

45:28

I think part of the prep

45:30

is knowing that the prep is done and just

45:32

getting my body in good shape and like resting,

45:35

sleeping, practicing an

45:37

amount that's what's just gonna get my

45:39

head space right, playing putting games that

45:42

just get the confidence up, stuff like

45:44

that. And then specifically just working on

45:47

getting my yardages styled, like my wedge

45:49

numbers, like small stuff like that, but

45:51

most of the work is done. So

45:54

it's just about feeling good going into it. And

45:56

we're leaving for a tournament tomorrow, so there's not gonna

45:59

be a lot of. you know, time

46:01

to do a lot of practice before the

46:03

ANWA, because we'll go straight there. We're

46:05

recording this on Monday, March 25th.

46:09

What is the tournament that you're heading towards? The

46:14

ASU Invitational. Gotcha. So you're going to be

46:16

in Arizona. Are you going straight from there

46:18

to Augusta? Are you going to spend a

46:20

little bit of time there? Yeah. Okay. Do

46:22

you feel like you have Augusta wired at

46:24

this point? You kind of know your way

46:26

around town, nowhere to stay, nowhere to eat,

46:28

all that kind of stuff? Yeah,

46:30

definitely. And if I don't, my parents definitely do,

46:32

because that's been our spring break

46:35

for the past eight

46:37

years. Yeah. That's wild.

46:39

Yeah. Yeah. Wild. All

46:41

right. Well, Megha, thank you so much for spending this time

46:43

with us. Good luck at ANWA. Yeah,

46:45

best of luck. We'll be watching you with interest.

46:48

Thanks for having me on. This is super fun. Yeah, of course.

46:50

Of course. Thank you. This

47:02

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47:04

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47:07

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